Two More Down - I Made It!

I have to say thank you to Ann for having the brilliant idea for a jammie sew along this weekend.  It sure gave me the incentive I needed to make my boys some cuddly long-legged versions for this winter.  Now that I have their patterns traced out, I'll be on the lookout for 3 more cute flannels to make them one more pair next month.

Here are my final two pairs.  The first one is for my oldest DS.  He just wanted plain, red, flannel, pants.  I noticed working with this color red made my eyes feel funny, so I am glad I am done with them!  I made the XL, but used 5/8" seams instead of the 1/4" allowance.  They came out a bit slimmer, which is what I wanted.  The Kwik Sew pattern envelope can be found in my previous post.

I used New Look 6005, view D to make my pj pants.  I cut the size 10 and took in an extra 1/2" on the side seams.  I like how they turned out.  The crotch curve fits well without any adjustments.  I also like the waistband height.  The pattern states they are to be worn 1" below your natural waist.  I made two buttonholes on the front casing for my drawstring.  I am showing them with my shirt tucked in so you can see the details, but I will wear them with my shirt on the outside. 

The thermal shirt is rtw from PacSun.  I wanted to show you this neat double cuff.  I will recreate this somewhere in my sewing adventures.   There is also a rectangular gusset under the arm, starting from the cuff and ending at the shirt hem.

I thought I'd leave you with a sample of the size of foliage you can see here in Maui.  This was taken yesterday on our hike.  Impressive eh?  I'm not sure what is next in the sewing queue, but I am going to have fun thinking about about it, and I'll let you know as soon as I figure it out.  Have a fantastic week everyone!

Two Down - Two to Go and a Hike

Triple boy energy...must...find...way..to...temporarily...deplete.  We decided to take a hike to Twin Falls near Haiku.  This is a short, less than 30 minutes, hike right off the Hana Highway that leads to two different water falls.  You can swim in both pools and enjoy the water beating down on your head if you wish!  I've witnessed young males jumping from the top of both and coming up without injury, but I wouldn't recommend that.  I don't think the pools are safely deep enough and I cringe when I see them do this.  We enjoyed seeing people from all over the world visiting the area today. 

Take the path to the left to find this one.

Take the path to the right to find this one.

Guess what?  It wasn't the boys who needed the short nap when we got home!  But I did manage to get two sets of PJ pants finished this evening.  Two more to go.  I think I'm going to make it!  I did my best to match the plaid on all the seams.  Both pairs have lots of wiggle room and are extremely soft.  The boys refused to take them off after the photo shoot!  I think that's a good sign.

PJ Sew-Along Progress

Thank you for your thoughts on my last outfit.  I am planning to wear it Sunday.  Here is my progress for the PJ Sew-Along this weekend.  I'm looking forward to sewing up this new pattern; New Look 6005.  I have more plans for it in the future, and this is a good way to test drive it!  The boys are getting flannel pants made with Kwik Sew 3042.  Beth asked if it really got cold enough upcountry for flannel PJ's.  For us, the answer is yes.  Anytime it drops to 68 or below we are chilled.  I guess our blood has gotten pretty thin living here!  So from now until about the beginning of March they will come in handy.

Paola also asked a couple of questions in Italian.  I'll do my best to answer what I think was asked.  I have a Brother sewing machine that I do most of my sewing on.  I also have a Brother serger I use to finish my seams on wovens.  I don't use it very often on my knits.  I have a digital Viking that I rarely use, because it does not sew very well.  I have to find someone who can actually fix it.   I also have a Janome coverstitch machine I use often for topstitching my knits.  Running does keep me in shape and I try to eat healthy foods most of the time.  I did enjoy eating too much traditional Thanksgiving day food today and yesterday, however!  I try to sew a couple of hours every day.  I hope I've answered your questions and thank you so much for stopping by to visit.  I really appreciate everyone who does.  How are your jammies coming along? 

Black and White and Red All Over

For those of you celebrating Thanksgiving today I wish you happy times and memories you won't soon forget!  I remember one year I forgot to put sugar in the pumpkin pie.  That was quite a surprise!  This year I got up early and made the pie first thing, and I did remember the sugar.  I can't wait to have some later on.  I don't always take the time to make homemade pie crust, but this year I did, and it just can't be beat!

While the turkey is cooking away, and we anticipate dinner with the family later on, I have a little time to show you what I have been working on this week.  I do wish my pictures were clearer, ah well... 

I mentioned the skirt pattern in my previous post.  It is from the Burda Style magazine - 12/2009 issue #123.  It has an invisible zipper, a curved waistband, and an inset panel that wraps from the front up to the center back and down to the opposite front.  I made a size 36 and added one inch to the waistband.  I didn't line it, although the magazine does include instructions for doing so.  Here are a couple of close up pictures.

 

I am really happy with the blouse.  I used three different patterns to get this look.  These are the three patterns.  I borrowed the collar from the Kwik Sew, the sleeves from the Simplicity (the view you can hardly see on the left side), and the body of the blouse from the Burda.  The Burda pattern fits me perfect, so that is why I used it as my base.

 

Here is a closer picture of the blouse.  I'm not sure if you can see it, but I wanted a lot of buttons so I spaced them 2 inches apart and there are nine of them.  I will also wear this blouse with the collar tied in a bow so the buttons can show.  The lovely bracelet is from Carolyn's giveaway.  I love it with the outfit!  Thank you again!    

When I put the outfit on this morning my oldest son said, "Mom, that looks like a 40's outfit."  I'm not sure if it's representative of that time, but it is the type of look I was going for.  I really love how it all came together and I will try to find any opportunity I can to wear it. 

Just One More

I think I'm going to make it.  One more outfit before PJ time this weekend.  Here are my fabrics.  I am making another separates ensemble.  The black fabric was listed as a rayon gabardine and came from FFC.  I have my doubts about the fabric content, but am happy with how it looks, feels, and drapes.  The animal print is a polyester satin charmeuse from Fabric.com.  The black fabric has already been transformed into this:

The skirt pattern is from the Burda Style 12/2009 issue, just like my last dress.  The blouse will be a bit more complicated as I am using three different patterns to achieve my desired look.  Let's hope it works out or you may only be seeing the skirt!  How about a tranquil shot to close out the night or to awaken the day...may it be a peaceful one.

Looking into the Pacific Ocean from Upcountry Maui.

 

PJ Fabric Round-Up

I hope you all have had an enjoyable weekend.  I sure do appreciate all your encouraging thoughts on my anniversary and the dress!  I have some fabric to share.  Remember I said I would be participating in Ann's PJ Sew-Along next weekend?  Well one out of two tasks has been accomplished to prepare for that.  I've got my fabric!  The other task is choosing the patterns.   I plan to make pj's for myself and my three boys.  They all could use a long pair of flannel pants.  I'm not sure if I will make tops for the boys this time around.  Here is the fabric all lined up in birth order from the left.  Two of these were already in my stash.  Yay.

I thought I would make some fall/winter themed ones for myself, but I fell in love with this quilting cotton I found locally.  I'm fairly certain I will be making long drawstring pants out of it.  I also found two rtw thermal shirts, with neat design details, on sale that match perfectly, so I won't be making a top.

I am glad so many people plan to participate in this.  It will be fun to see what everybody comes up with!  I only wish distance didn't separate us all.  How fun it would be to have steamy hot cider, girl talk, and buzzing machines all in one room for a day!  

So Much Fun...

Oh my goodness, we had so much fun!

Anniversary Dress - Burda Style #103 12/2009

I am happy to tell you that I have finished Burda Style #103 from the 12/2009 issue just in time for tonight.  I used an inexpensive cotton crinkle gauze with a light smattering of sequins from my stash.  This color is not one of my favorites, but I did think the fabric would translate fairly well into this pattern.  I lined the dress with a white cotton batiste, also from my stash.  I would have preferred a matching lining, but I think it is mostly hidden from public view.  I made View B, which is the shorter version.  I added a mirror image hem to the opposite side of the dress because it was too short and I wasn't fond of the asymmetrical hemline.  It reminded me of "The Flinstones".  I also realized this dress was not drafted to be fitted, so I added two back darts for shaping.  Overall, I think the dress does look nice for a casual dinner in a tropical location and am excited to wear it tonight.  Without further adieu may I present my interpretation of Burda 103-12-2009...

Construction Notes:

This dress consists of two pattern pieces.  The front piece has a bust dart on the left side.  I cut one dress from the fashion fabric and another from lining.  I cut the sleeve off of the lining piece and cut the hem about an inch shorter than the dress.  I then hemmed the lining at the sleeve and hemline and basted these pieces to the fashion fabric, treating both as one piece for the rest of my construction. 

Next, I inserted an invisible zipper on the left side.  If your dress is going to be fitted you will want to have a long zipper.  My zipper stops just about 1 inch below my neckline and ends just below my hip.  To get a snug fit on the dress I basted the other side seam and began experimenting on where to place two back darts.  This took a considerable amount of tries and just when I thought I had it all worked out, by husband pointed out that the back darts were shifted to one side.  I think this happened because the dress sort of shifts forward on one side because of how the sleeve rests on your shoulder.  So I had to shift the darts over about 1.5".  So if you make this, be sure to try it on to mark your center back.

Once my back darts and side seam were finished I hemmed my sleeve and proceeded to finish the neckline.  I cut a bias strip of closely matching fabric about 1.25" wide and about 1 inch shorter than my neckline.  I joined this strip together in one continuous circle and stitched it to the neckline using a 3/8" seam.  I understitched it then turned it to the inside of my dress where I wrapped the bias strip around the seam and hand stitched it down to the lining fabric only.  This way I have no seam showing on the outside.  Here is a picture of what I did. 

Next I hemmed the dress.  As I said, I didn't like how it looked so I cut another bottom half of the front and back dress pattern, flipping the pattern pieces since I wanted to create a mirror image.  I then hemmed this new bottom and stitched the side seams and laid it in under my dress to make it even on both sides.  Again, I tried the dress on to make sure the hemline was even.  Once I was sure of my placement, I stitched it to the dress following the hemline stitching on the opposite top layer.  I finished the raw edges under the dress with pinking shears, not very pretty, but it is not visible and you cannot see the outline of the seam under the dress.  Here is a close-up of the finished hemline from the outside!

I don't have plans to make this again, but it was a fun pattern to try for a special one time event, using up some of my more challenging fabric.  Enjoy the rest of your weekend!  

Back to Business

Good morning!  I have had a wonderful time with my visitors these past 6 days, and they are safely on their way back home today.  I am overjoyed to have DH home as of last night as well.  I wasn't able to find any time to sew, but I do have a dress I would like share with you, made last summer, and I will share what my future sewing plans are for this upcoming week.

This dress was made last summer using Kwik Sew 3402.  The fabric is a drapey knit with a tropical print purchased from The Fabric Fairy.  They do not have this particular print anymore, but they have a category called, "Mamas Deserve Yummy Fabric Too", where there are lots of neat prints.   

I made the size XS.  The pattern is designed for wovens.  Since I used a knit I did not insert a zipper in the center back, and I went down one size than what I normally sew using this pattern line.

 

DH and I will have a date night this weekend to celebrate our seventeenth wedding anniversary, which was officially last Saturday.  Thanks for all the well wishes by the way.  I would like to sew a new dress for this occasion.  I am thinking about this pattern from the Burda Style - 12/2009 - issue.

I have a crinkle, jade-colored, sequined, gauze that I think would be just the right combination of casual and snazzy.  Perfect for dinner in boho Paia Town followed by a walk along the seashore.  Also, did you hear Ann is having a pajama sew along over Thanksgiving Weekend?  I am going to participate in this as well.  You might like to also.  The more the merrier!  I haven't decided on what type of pj's to make yet, but I plan to make some for the boys as well.  

Low rainbow over cane fields looking toward the North Shore.

Have you heard Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow?  It's my favorite. 

 

Cascading Roses

I hope you all had fun wondering what the fabulous linen fabric, in my previous post, would become.  I sure enjoyed working with it and in the end could not decide on just one side.  So without further delay here is the completed outfit.

I used Kwik Sew 3520 and Burda 8497 to create this look.

I'll talk about the skirt first.  Basically all I did was cut the dress pattern off at the waist.  There are sixteen wedge shaped pieces.  I cut 8 out on each side of the fabric.  I inserted an invisible zipper at the center back.  I then cut a facing piece the width of my waist and interfaced it.  I used this to finish the waist.  The skirt panels go all the way to the top.  My invisible zipper applications keep getting neater and neater.  Yay!

The Burda top pattern is a well drafted pattern and pretty easy to put together.  I used a light-weight cotton sateen, from a flat sheet that was just the right shade of off-white.  I really hope it holds up! The front edges have a facing that I understitched then topstitched down.  The front of the blouse does not gape if I tie the waist snugly, even when I sit down.  I am so pleased about this.

The elbows have darts for bending.  I forgot to take a picture of this, but I think it is a neat detail.  The only thing that isn't clear on the pattern is that it tells you at step 8 to "Finish allowances on back neck edge together."  I made a flat fell seam along the back neck edge so that I didn't have a serged edge there.  It is a much neater finish.  You could also apply a bias strip there, but it is a 5/8" seam so you have plenty of fabric to do a flat fell seam.  I have to say I was impressed with how well the blouse front and tie met together.  This is an example of perfect drafting.

I ladder stitched the tie to the front on the back side so I would not have to topstitch here. 

I also had great success setting in my sleeves.  No puckers this time around.  Here is the opening for the tie at the side seam. 

The only other thing I would recommend on this pattern is:  to get a nice curve on your hem, it is important to make a basting stitch along the edge, and gather the thread a little bit.  For instance, if you've allowed 3/4" for your hem, then baste along the edge of the curve at 3/8", gather the edge a slight bit, then press using the stitching as your guide.  Turn up again the final 3/8" and you should have a fairly smooth curve to topstitch down.

Can you believe the weekend is here already?  I have guests arriving tonight and staying until Wednesday morning.  My DS's final soccer games and potlucks are this weekend.  My seventeenth wedding anniversary is Saturday, but celebrating will have to wait, since my DH is off island for business until next Tuesday.  (Maybe he can get me a new camera to make up for it! He he.)  Busy, busy, busy...Hope you all have a good one!

Yin or Yang

Can you really have one without the other?  Hmmm....
I am working with this beauty from Gorgeous Fabrics.  It's linen, one of my favorite fabrics to work with and wear.  Stay tuned...

Motivation

Thank you for your thoughts on my latest silk blouse.  I am going to work out the fit issues on the pattern and make another version very soon!  I feel like I have had some real sewing challenges lately, so it was time for something a whole lot easier.  There were many directions I could have gone to satisfy this need, but let me tell you what inspired me to create this latest outfit, YOU!  I have enjoyed seeing posts about the clothes you are making for your various exercise routines.  Here are a few examples: Uta and Cidell do ballet, Renee, Caroline, and Dawn  all run.  I also love to run.  Sewing is probably the hobby I enjoy most, but next to that is running.  I can't think of anything more motivating than having new workout clothes.  But they are so expensive and don't always have the features you may want! 

I have made up Jalie 2563, view A and Jalie 2796, the Multi-Sport Skort.  And actually it was Cidell's version of this skort that made me realize I needed one, or two, or three....of these.  They are so cute, but are they functional for my preferred choice of exercise?  Ah...I will get to the answer very soon.

Here is the completed outfit with a rtw tank top, PRE-RUN.  Oh yes, I put them through the moves right away.  There are two things to test before I commit to making another set.  1) Are they comfortable? and 2) Do they perform well?  Other considerations include: Quality of Construction-I think I can vouch for that, Affordability-maybe $10.00 for all the materials, Style-very nice, you can't beat a sporty and girly combination. 

The fabric is 90% nylon/10% lycra rib knit.  It feels buttery soft and stretches and recovers really well, but has a bit too much drape for true sport's wear.  However, the sport's top works because I lined it with a stiffer, stretchier, wicking, fabric and all the openings are hemmed with elastic.  The skort works because I added 1" wide elastic to the the waistband to ensure it stays put.  The pattern does not call for this.  I used my coverstitch machine for the double needle topstitching.  Here are some close-up details of each.

Pocket on both sides for key, ID, and/or IPod.

I made the compression shorts, low waist, version. 

 POST-RUN shot.  Did it pass all my requirements? With Flying Colors!  Have a great week everyone!